Kathryn Lynn Pearlman

Kathryn (Kathy) Lynn Pearlman, beloved wife, daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, and friend, passed away April 3, 2025 in Newport Beach at age 69 after her courageous battle with Myelodysplastic Syndrome that became Leukemia.

Kathy was born May 7, 1955 in Orange, CA to parents David L Williams and Mary Rita Heck. The oldest of three siblings, Kathy grew up in Anaheim in a cul de sac neighborhood full of kids that were friends and classmates. She learned to play the piano and took Hula dance lessons at an early age. It was a family trip to Hawaii in 1968 that cemented her life long passion for all things Hawaiian. She graduated in the Anaheim High School class of 1973.

Kathy attended UCLA, majoring in linguistics. She enjoyed telling stories of her study abroad spending a semester in Mexico City and living with a local family there. She was fluent in Spanish and studied Italian and Quechua. After graduation from UCLA, she lived in Manhattan Beach and worked for Price Waterhouse. She gave up work when an opportunity to volunteer at the 1984 Olympic Games Village in the language service group presented itself. Following the Olympic Games, Kathy traveled across Europe visiting a number of friends she had made during the Olympic Games. Kathy loved to travel and be with people; she turned that passion into a dream career in the travel industry, where she ended up representing Anheuser-Busch Sea World around the Pacific Rim.

A relationship leading to marriage finally grounded Kathy around 1996, when she met her future husband to be Michael Pearlman. They married in June of 1998 and enjoyed nearly 27 years of a loving relationship in Newport Coast, CA.

Kathy was a breast cancer survivor from 2003, and lived a full and giving life. She spent most Sundays at the beach with her Father, she loved to plan parties, was a student of HGTV and dabbled in design any chance she could. She painted on canvas, and was an advocate for animal welfare causes. Despite being allergic to most dogs, she loved them but couldn’t be around them. She finally fell under the spell of a hypoallergenic pug nose kitten who she named MuShu. Always devoted to family, Kathy spent her later years caring for her dear Aunt Kiki, Mother, and Father until their deaths.

She was loved by all and will be missed sorely by those she so easily allowed into her warm and loving embrace. Kathy is survived by her husband Michael Pearlman, siblings Steve Williams, Craig (Susan) Williams, and numerous nieces and nephews, cousins and friends. She was preceded in death by her cherished kitty Mushu who brightened her life for 13 years.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Kathy’s honor should be directed to her favorite charities St. Jude Children’s Hospital (www.stjude.org), The Asher House (www.theasherhouse.com), Lana’i Cat Sanctuary (www.lanaicatsanctuary.org), Stand Up to Cancer (www.standuptocancer.org), Best Friends Sanctuary (www.bestfriends.org), Project Street Vet (www.projectstreetvet.org), and Greater Good Animal Rescue (www.greatergood.org/pets)

As In keeping with her wishes, the family conducted a private burial service where she was interred along with her parents David and Mary Williams at Pacific View Cemetery in Corona Del Mar. We will honor her memory with a Celebration of Life on June 21, details will be made available on the legacy.com website.